The Portland daily press., 1887-11-05

The young Charles, after completing his
college course, decided in favor OF merean-
tile career, and was sent TO Germany TO gain
commercial knowledge and experience. La
ter he returned to England and entered Bar
lngs, and when he was twenty three went TO
China to buy tea, intending to start in that
business In London. His father wrote Of
him In 1862: my eldest boy Is in business as
an Eastern merchant in the city, and will do
we'll II he can find continuous energy. othe-
wise he will not" 1t Is to be presumed he
did not, for shortly after the business career
was abandoned and Charles was taken on
All the Year Round by his father. OF this
Journal he Is now the editor, and is also
known as printer and publisher.
Mr.. Dickens is not, by those who remem-
Der his father, considered to resemble him In
person or manner. He has high forehead,
eyes round rather than long, and wears spec
tacleS and small mOustsche. He Is inclined to
be bald.is full in the face and rather portly In
figure. In the eyes of young men he possesses
great distinction as the father Of eight ex-
ceedingly pretty daughters, the very pretti-
est of whom, Miss Sydney, will accompany
her father and mother to America. Miss
Ethel Dickens and another sister have
opened tpye-writing Office in the city, and
promise to succeed, and Miss Mamie Dick
ems, slight, pretty girl of delicate physique,
Is on the stage and now playing in the Prov
lnees. Mr.. Dickens lives in a comfortable,
square stone house, close to the famous
AAhAAOoO AAAAiS ACdA anu IN
the drawing-room hangs a portrait that
shows him to have been an exceedingly
handsome boy.
Miss Mary dickens, eldest daughter.of the
late Charles Dickens, and whom as a child
he hum0rOnsly dubbed wild GlOster," in
reference to her disposition, is now a woman
mature age and has never married. She is
an accomplished hOusekeeper; rides, drives
and walks well; Is good linguist, and has
some talent for writing. shown particularly
In her interesting "reminiscences Of her
father Miss Dickens, though she has not
Joined any order, devOtes her entire life to
work, charitable and religious, among the
poor, and at present makes her home in
Manchester with a well-known clergyman
and his wife, both of whom are interested
named after her aunt, the lovely Mary
Hogarth, to whom her father was so ten
derby attached, and whose epitaph, young,
beautiful and gOod God, in his mercy, num-
bered her among the angels at the early age of
seventeen" he wrote.
The second daughter Of the house, Kate,
has always been remarkable for her bril-
lianey and her beauty, and Is really a femi-
nine version Of her father in his younger
days. Not unnaturally she was her fathers
fayorite child, and when as girl she mar
rled Charlie Collins, younger brother Of
the well known novelist, it was understood
that their second home should be at Gads-
hill. Collins was like his father, an artist
and literateur. In his companionship mis-
wife developed the talent for painting which
has since distinguished her. Sir John Mil
lais had so great an admiration for Mrs.
Collins's beauty that he painted her in his IA
nous BLACK Brunswicker," and after Mr..
Collins's death his widow pursued her art
studies under the great artist. Apropos of
the "Blaek Brunswicker," it Is curious
fact that while photographs and engravings
Of it are familiar all over the land the
whereabouts Of the original picture is I'M
known even to the artist
When Kate Dickens was married for the
second time it was to the artist Perugini, and
his exquisite portrait of her was on exhibit
ton at the Centennial where no less than
twenty-three offers were made for it, but the
artist husband refused to part with his work
Mrs. Peruglni has steadily progressed in her
art, and one OF the most charming pictures
in the Royal Academy this year was of two
lovely child heads from her brush. The
Peruginis, who have an artistic and comfort
able home in London, are without children
and at present are travelling on the continent
The third daughter of Dickens, little Dora,
named after David Copperfeld's child wife,
died while a tiny thing. and just as her
father. who had LETT her growing and happy
few moments before, was responding to a
toast at theatrical dinner. Baby Dora was
buried beside her grandfather and grand
mother at Highgate.
OF the other soons, Alfred Tennyson and
Edward Bulwer Lytton Dickens are both
settled as real estate agents and brokers in
Australia, country their father had great
faith in as aff0rding future to young men.
One OF them Il have forgotten which,, has a
child. The other none
Frank Dickens, popularity known In child
hood as "the chicken. stalker" was well
educated, and began life as business man.
After roaming about the world good deal,
lice, and in the Riel rebellion he displayed
great gallantry and courage, hut received
such injuries that not long afterwards, while
visiting friends at Moline, ILL.,, he died sud-
denly, the heart, worn with excitement, eeas-
ing to act.
Walter Lander Dickens, handsome and
brave young officer, made lieutenant at II
OF the F0rty-sscond Highland volunteers,
died even more suddenly when only 20 years
OF age, and while stationed at Calcutta.
A pathetic little figure in the history Of the
Dickens family was Sydney Smith. the fifth
son, q tiny mite of fellow, with such
wierd face and such big, weird eyes, and such
a passion for the sea that he was nicknamed
the ocean Specter," which was promptly
corrupted by the other children into "Hoshen
Peck" His father let him follow his taste
for the sea, and when he sailed as a midship-
man he was christened the Admiral" and
very funny are the illusions to him in Dick
ens's letters.
Sydney became the youngest lieutenant in
the service, and was also the smallest, as he
never grew over five feet in height Two
years after his fathers death, and when on
his way home on the Malta, he was taken III,
died and was buried in the sea he loved.
There seems something almost eerie in the
The only one Of Dickens's sons who has
made mark in the world is Mr.. Henry
Fielding Dickens, who won the second
scholarship at Trinity Hall, Cambridge, and
is now very successful barrister-at-law,
with prospect of becoming a Judge He
has filed a number of positions Of trust and
Importance and is the administrator OF the
estate Of Mr.. Ashton Dixie, which includes
the management of the weekly Despatch.
Mr. Henry Dickens, like Mrs. Perugini,
inherits his looks from his father, and has
them to five lovely children.
One Of them, Enid, is a perfect little beauty,
with the lovely eyes and brows, the refined
face and delicately nodded features of her
aunt Kate. Mrs. Henry Dickens is consid-
cred a charming woman, but has the misfor-
tune to be good deal of an invalid.